


Perfect

by AoiTsukikage



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, how did this get so fluffy we just don't know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:36:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6918508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AoiTsukikage/pseuds/AoiTsukikage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mika realizes that perfection isn't as unattainable as he'd once thought and that maybe finding somebody he can be himself with is all he's ever wanted.  It's a good thing, really, that Arashi feels the exact same way.  Mild AraMika.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> I use he/him pronouns for Arashi in this because it's from Mika's POV

“I don’t want to go shopping today.”

“Huh?” Mika blinked at the door, pressing his fingertips against it in a rather weak attempt to get it to open further.  “But…yer the one who called me, Naru-chan!” he protested, pushing a little harder and being met with enough resistance that he was pretty sure Arashi was actually holding it shut from the other side.  “Don’t you wanna check out the new cake shop?”

“You can go without me, Mika-chan.”

Mika frowned, taking a step back and wondering what he should do.  Arashi _never_ turned down an opportunity to go shopping, especially not after bugging Mika about it for weeks.

Something was definitely wrong. 

“We don’t hafta go if you don’t want, Naru-chan,” he said quietly.  “But Oshi-san said he was workin’ on costumes or somethin’ at home and I’d jus’ be in the way if I went back, ya know?  So maybe I can stay here fer a bit?” he tried, not sure how Arashi would react to that since he’d never really spent time at the house before besides coming to meet Arashi at the door.

He heard a sigh from the other side of the door and then it opened slowly, although Mika couldn’t see anybody behind it. 

He figured that was an invitation, though, and pushed his way inside only to nearly fall on his face when something ran between his feet. 

The yelp of surprise he let out was matched by a mewl and a hiss, and he tried to calm himself down when he realized his attacker was a tiny cat that was apparently attempting to twine itself around his ankles.  

“Hey, there,” he bent down and held out a hand cautiously, laughing when the cat nudged its nose against it.  “Where’s yer owner, huh?  Why’s he avoidin’ me?” he asked in a whisper, getting a grumbled noise in return as the cat tried to push its head under his hand. 

“I’m not avoiding you.”

Mika looked up, fingers still idly tickling underneath the cat’s chin, and thought that Arashi looked…tired.  “Are y’ ill, Naru-chan?” he asked.  “Y’ don’t look like yerself.”

“No,” Arashi sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms, and Mika noticed then that Arashi was wearing what looked like pajamas and certainly didn’t seem anywhere near ready to go out for the day.  It wasn’t something he’d ever seen, really, since Arashi was always perfectly put together from his hair to his clothing to the way he carried himself, but none of that was present now.  “I’m not sick, Mika-chan, I just don’t feel like going out today.”

Even his voice was dull, the light that seemed to constantly surround him less bright than usual, and Mika didn’t like it one bit. 

“D’you want me t’ leave you alone?” he stood up, letting the cat wrap itself around his feet again. 

“I…” Arashi paused, curling into himself and looking around the room.  “I’m sure you’ve got better ways to spend a day off than dealing with little old me,” he chuckled, but even that sounded hollow and without the sparkle his laughter usually held. 

“Nah, like I said, I’d jus’ be in the way at home,” he shrugged, and while it was true, he probably wouldn’t have left even if he’d have had somewhere to go. “So I don’t mind stayin’ if y’ don’t mind the company.”

“If the company is you, I’d be grateful,” Arashi said the words as if he were speaking to himself and Mika wondered if he was even supposed to hear them, but Arashi beckoned him farther into the entrance so Mika reached down to scoop up the cat and entered the house properly. 

“So, what d’you wanna do?” Mika tried to put the cat down but it decided to climb onto his shoulder, balancing there rather precariously until Mika steadied it. 

“She likes you,” Arashi gave him a much warmer smile now and gestured with his arm toward another room before walking in that direction. 

Mika took the time to kick his shoes off before following, seeing Arashi flop down almost dejectedly onto a long sofa.  “Naru-chan?  Y’ sure yer not sick?”

“No.  At least, not physically,” Arashi heaved a dramatic sigh again and threw one arm over his eyes.  “I’m just…tired, Mika-chan.  Sometimes even _I_ need a day off to recharge my batteries and get away from…” he huffed.  “Well, away from people that aren’t you,” he mumbled and Mika felt his cheeks heat up. 

“Me?” he steadied the cat, who was now purring rather loudly in his ear.  “Why me, Naru-chan?”

“Because,” Arashi lowered his arm a little to look at Mika.  “You’re one of the only people who doesn’t judge me.”

“Huh?” Mika still wasn’t really sure what Arashi was getting at, but he felt awkward standing in the middle of the room so he sat down on the couch beside his friend and the cat finally scrambled off of him to lie behind his head on the back of the sofa.  “Yer perfect, so it’d be hard t’ judge you.”

“Perfect,” Arashi repeated slowly.  “Even like this?” he gestured to himself and Mika shrugged, because if anything seeing Arashi like this, human and vulnerable and without any fronts in place, was only making him more appealing. 

Mika nodded, not sure if he could say anything to make things better and deciding it was better to keep quiet. 

“Thank you,” Arashi shifted a little so that his head was pillowed in Mika’s lap and the other boy froze, his hands hovering awkwardly in the air. 

Yes, he and Arashi had never been shy about being affectionate, but this conversation felt…heavy, somehow, and he was worried about messing up by doing the wrong thing and making it worse. 

“It’s nice being with you, Mika-chan,” Arashi mumbled, his eyes closed again.  “All I ever get from other people is comments about my weight or how I’m eating too many sweets or that I should stop calling myself a girl when I’m not one,” he wrinkled his nose and Mika could understand that.  “Even if I’m around strangers, I always feel like I have an image to keep up, as a model and an idol, and knowing that, to you, I’m just plain old Naru-chan?  I feel like I can relax,” he admitted. 

“Well, you’ll never be ‘plain old’ anythin’ to me,” Mika swallowed, his hand hovering awkwardly above Arashi’s head before he decided to stop being afraid.  He let his fingers trail through the other boy’s soft hair, seeing Arashi smile at the action.  “And I’ve told y’ before you act like a big sister.”

“Heh, well, it’s in my nature,” Arashi pushed against his hand the same way his cat had done earlier and Mika had to grin at the similarity.  “But when it’s just you and me, I’d like to think we’re equals.”

“ ‘Course we are.  Like y’ said, we should have a give ‘n take relationship, right?  Y’ always make sure t’ take care of everybody else, Naru-chan, so today I want to take care of you,” he decided, getting a wider smile in return. 

“You’re doing a good job so far,” Arashi promised, and while Mika felt like he hadn’t really done much of _anything,_ if it was making Arashi happy then he was glad.  “Mm, I’m sorry I’m being such a buzzkill and ruining the day.”

“Y’ aren’t,” Mika shook his head, his fingers still trailing through Arashi’s hair.  “I don’t like bein’ out in public much either, y’know, since people stare at my eyes,” he mumbled and Arashi gave him a pointed look. 

“Your eyes are beautiful, Mika-chan.  _You’re_ beautiful,” he amended and Mika reflexively covered his face with his free hand to hide his blush. 

“Don’t say such embarrassin’ things, Naru-chan!  Comin’ from you of all people,” he muttered into his palm. 

“Me of all people what?” Arashi was clearly teasing now, something about the lilt in his voice almost close to normal, and Mika sighed. 

“Callin’ me beautiful when that word fits you a whole lot more,” he replied, trying not to squeak when Arashi turned toward him and nuzzled his nose against Mika’s stomach. 

“Well, I hope you don’t expect me to _deny_ that,” Arashi winked, and just like that Mika could tell everything was okay again.  “But thank you, Mika-chan.  You always know just how to make me feel better,” he rolled onto his side a little more, not moving off of Mika’s lap, though Mika couldn’t say he minded at all. 

“I’m glad I could help,” Mika replied honestly.  “Y’ should never be sad, Naru-chan.”

“Never?” Arashi looked up at him.  “But then you’d never be able to cheer me up,” he pointed out, and Mika was pretty sure his entire face was red by now because Arashi just kept saying things to make him feel awkward.  “Am I really embarrassing you that much?” Arashi reached for his hand and Mika let him tug it down, as much as he’d rather keep his face covered.  “I’m sorry,” he laced his fingers with Mika’s and Mika blinked rapidly, because that was…new. 

It was okay, though.  Everything with Naru-chan was okay, he realized in that moment, because he felt…safe when they were together. 

“I promise I’m not lying to you,” Arashi continued, pulling their joined hands onto his chest.  “You know I hate complimenting people, but when it’s you, it’s easy.”

“Yer not just sayin’ that?” Mika asked softly and Arashi shook his head. 

“No, silly.  I mean all of it,” he promised, and Mika somehow knew he was telling the truth. 

“Oh,” he realized that wasn’t much of an answer but it was all he had.  “Guess I’m not used t’ it, I mean, most people just say I’m useless and empty-headed ‘n that I say all the wrong things,” he mumbled, startling when Arashi reached up to cup his cheek and hold his head in place so that their eyes met. 

“That’s why we need each other, Mika-chan,” he whispered.  “We’re surrounded by people who can’t be honest, with themselves or with other people, but the two of us?  We can always be honest when we’re together.”

“Yeah,” Mika leaned into the touch.  “I…” he took a deep breath.  “I really like you, Naru-chan.  I mean, I dunno how you feel about me, but…”

Arashi laughed aloud at that and Mika looked at him in surprise, not sure what that reaction meant.  “Mika-chan, honey, do you honestly think I’d be doing _any_ of this with you if I didn’t like you?”

“Well, prob’ly not,” Mika admitted, smiling a little himself now.  “But I’m glad y’ do.”

“OF course I do.  And I think we’ve had enough heavy conversation for one afternoon,” Arashi sat up, not letting go of Mika’s hand.  “So.  I propose that, instead of going out, we just have a girls’ day here with the two of us.”

“Huh?” Mika blinked, although Arashi wasn’t the type to let anything keep him down for long so the sudden mood shift wasn’t completely unexpected. 

“I think there’s some cake in the fridge…and I’ve been _dying_ to get you into some clothes that actually fit, so if you’re willing to let me give you a little makeover I promise it’ll be fun,” he winked and Mika wasn’t sure about that, not really, but…but it would make Arashi happy, and that’s what he wanted more than anything. 

“I don’t think yer clothes would fit me, Naru-chan,” he chuckled ruefully.  “I’m small.”

“We’ll make it work.  And it’s just you and me so you don’t have to feel self-conscious, right?” he was smiling so brightly that Mika _had_ to say yes, and if he was being honest, he knew that Arashi had a point.  “I just want to have fun today and forget about…everything.  And I know I can do that with you,” he was holding both of Mika’s hands now and staring at him so intently that Mika felt a little intimidated, because he didn’t _deserve_ to be that person. 

Not for somebody like Arashi, anyway, who deserved somebody at least as bright and beautiful as he was.  Mika was just…plain and dull and normal, a sooty black crow next to a resplendent bird of paradise, and he felt so unworthy. 

“Oh, darling,” Arashi sighed like he knew every single thought that was going through Mika’s mind and pulled him closer, into an embrace that was warm and full of safety and comfort.  “You’re so much more than you realize.”

Mika burrowed his nose against Arashi’s neck and breathed out slowly, letting his own arms wrap around the other boy’s lithe body.  “If y’ say so,” he finally mumbled. 

He didn’t believe it, not yet, but when Arashi pulled back a little and gave him a smile that he thought could light up the entire world, he thought that maybe there was some truth to it after all. 

If he could make Arashi happy, he wasn’t entirely useless. 

Before he could dwell on it too much there was an annoyed mewl and the little cat was squeezing its way between them, looking from one to the other in an almost accusing fashion. 

“Can’t stand to be ignored for long, can you?” Arashi reached to scratch behind her ears, something that earned him a pleased rumble.  “Just like her owner.”

“Well, her owner’s kinda hard to ignore,” Mika grinned and held out a hand to pet the cat as well, finally feeling like he could get away with speaking his mind around Arashi without being reprimanded for it. 

“I try,” Arashi chuckled and took Mika’s hand again with his free one, their fingers already sliding together naturally like they’d been doing it for years.  He was still smiling, eyes full of life and joy and a gratefulness that still made Mika uncomfortable, but…

But maybe it didn’t need to.  Maybe, for today, he could let himself _be_ himself and know that Arashi wasn’t going to judge him or talk down to him or expect anything from him other than that. 

“Mika-chan?” Arashi blinked, brows furrowed a little in concern.  “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Mika promised, squeezing Arashi’s hand and letting himself break into a completely honest smile.  “I really am.”

“Good,” Arashi apparently decided this was his cue to bodily hug Mika again and Mika tried to protest weakly through his laughter, his arms locked around Arashi as he fell back on the couch and pulled the other boy with him. 

Somehow he ended up with the cat on his head and Arashi propped up on his chest, both of them laughing like they couldn’t stop, and maybe it wasn’t the day they’d planned, but maybe that didn’t matter. 

To Mika, it was perfect, and he knew that both of them were going to enjoy every second of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe it's because I got into this game during the Valkyrie event and my first introduction to these two was the 'Girls Talk' stories, but there's something about their relationship and how pure and honest it is that attracted me immediately and so I had to write about it. 
> 
> I haven't written much of these characters before so I hope this reads okay and that it was enjoyable, because I had a lot of fun writing it!
> 
> (if you want to find me elsewhere my twitter is at [_mikarashis](http://twitter.com/_mikarashis))


End file.
